Chicken, broccoli and mangetout pasta salad

With the warm weather approaching it is great to have a simple salad recipe that you can throw together in less than 15 minutes. Broccoli is king of the superfood vegetables, being rich in antioxidants and containing beta-carotene, vitamin C and a range of B vitamins, iron, zinc and folic acid. It also helps to strengthen the immune system and is a major force in fighting various forms of cancer.

The key is not to overcook it as you will lose a lot of the nutrients. Pumpkin seeds are rich in omega 3 oils and give a delicious crunchy texture to this salad. The dressing has a Japanese flavour with the delicious mix of rice wine vinegar, honey and soy sauce.

I find that this is popular with adults and children and you can make your own variations to this salad, maybe adding some halved cherry tomatoes or some tinned sweetcorn. You could also use toasted pine nuts (simply cook for few minutes in a dry frying pan, stirring until golden) instead of the pumpkin seeds. This salad keeps well provided you keep the dressing separate until ready to serve, so it is great for picnics or your child’s lunchbox.